untitled design

With a shortage of drivers, UK stores may run out of drinks at Christmas

The stores in the United Kingdom may run out of wine and alcoholic beverages before the Natal because there are not enough drivers to make the deliveries.

The warning came in a letter sent by the UK Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WTSA) to UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last week. It has been signed by 48 industry association members, including champagne and cognac makers Moet Hennessy, owned by LVMH (LVMHF), and Laurent-Perrier.

“This is an urgent issue for our business and it is imperative that the government [do Reino Unido] take immediate action to help mitigate the impact of the driver shortage crisis before the Christmas period,” the letter stated.

The industry wants help with better cargo routing from ports, as well as more regular updates from the government on how quickly it is processing heavy vehicle testing and driving licenses (HGV).

The companies also urged the government to extend for one year a temporary visa program that allows overseas drivers to meet long-term disabilities. The three-month program is due to expire on February 28 of next year.

“We are already seeing major delays in delivery times for wines and spirits, which are driving up costs and limiting the range of products available to UK consumers,” WSTA Chief Executive Miles Beale said in a statement. communicated.

In 2019, 54% of adults in England reported drinking alcohol at least once a week, according to a survey by the UK parliament.

The beverage industry association said it was taking up to five times longer for some of its members to import wines and spirits than it was a year ago. She also said that the rising costs were passed on to importers by freight forwarders, having to pay more due to the shortage of drivers.

Ed Baker, director of wine distributor Kingsland Drinks, said his company fills around 185 million bottles of wine each year, the equivalent of “about one in eight bottles” of drinks in the UK.

The backlog of deliveries means that container spaces at rail hubs are in high demand, he said in a statement.

“Normally we would expect to have 80 to 100 tank spaces, but at the moment we might have 10 to 20. This is limiting the amount of liquid that reaches our plant and goes beyond the shortage of HGV drivers making deliveries,” said Baker .

The UK government said in a statement that it did not expect a disruption in the supply of alcohol this Christmas.

“The government acted quickly to address the challenges to our supply chains, which were caused by global pressures, including the pandemic and the international shortage of lorry drivers,” said a government spokesman.

The lack of truck drivers caused a fuel crisis earlier this year, with many gas stations closed and long lines at those lucky enough to get gas. In September, the UK government deployed army fuel tanks to fill gaps in fuel supplies.

Supermarkets have also struggled for months to keep their shelves fully stocked amidst a supply chain crisis caused by the pandemic and the shortage of workers generated in part by the country’s departure from European Union.

Some European Union workers left the country after the Brexit, and farms, food processing factories and transport companies can no longer recruit in the European Union because of new UK immigration rules.

The government has issued 5,000 temporary visas for foreign drivers, but the UK’s Road Transport Association says the country needs an additional 100,000 drivers to meet the demand.

Farmers, bankers, retailers, logistics firms and restaurant owners have warned the government in recent months that stricter immigration rules put in place after Britain left the European Union were making it harder to find workers and keep their businesses running.

*(Translated text. Click here to read the original, in English)

Reference: CNN Brasil

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular